Today's ride

[cactusjack]

I left the house at 08:20 to meet up with a group of riders at 9:00. I didn't give myself enough time and didn't arrive at the parking lot in Mesa we were meeting at until 09:15. They usually wait 15 minutes for stragglers, so I must have just missed them. I knew the route we were taking, so I left to try and catch them. Well, about 20 miles east of Mesa is where they have the annual Renaissance Festival, and I got tied up in traffic for that event. Once I got past it, I hauled butt up US 60 and only saw one other bike going in my direction. I went through Superior and looked for them at the cafes and service stations as I passed, but I never did see them. They had a scheduled rest/fuel stop in Globe, about another 25 miles up the road. Once I went through the Superior Tunnel, I started gaining elevation and the air turned really cold. Up around the 4000' mark, there was snow on the ground from last week's storm. I was wearing 2 shirts (1 long-sleeved), a leather jacket and thick leather chaps, my 3/4 Nolan helmet and heavy cold-weather gloves, but was still really cold. I rode all the way through the "tri-city area" (Miami-Claypool-Globe, all mining towns) and didn't see them. I know where they like to stop for liquid refreshment and fuel, but didn't see any bikes. I decided to give up the search and went in to a restaurant to have some food and warm up a bit. After I ate, I went back out to the bike and it was now not only cold, but windy. Swell.

I headed out of Globe and went south on AZ77. I had to go up and over a mountain pass, which was even colder than in town. Once I got down below that 4,000 foot mark, it was warmer and much more pleasant. The group was going to continue down 77 to Oracle Junction, but since I had given up on finding them, I turned at Winkelman onto AZ177 and went back north to Superior. In Superior, I got back onto US60 and headed back to the valley. In order to bypass the Renaissance Festival traffic, I turned onto AZ79 and rode the 16 miles to Florence, the home of 5 prisons, and stopped there for fuel and a pit stop. Then I took Hunt Hwy back home through Sun City Anthem and Queen Creek.

I racked up about 225 miles today and although it was cold in the mountains, it was still a good ride.

[dabull]

does sound like a nice ride...especially once you get back to warm air;)

[bosko]

COLD, HA.

Let me tell you about COLD.


To bad you didn't catch up with your friends, but sounds like a fun anyways.

Don't you just love getting into warm air after freezing your Nads.

It feels soooo goood.

[Top Cat]

Damn, I can't wait till I can get the bikes out :(
Glad you had a good ride CJ. Just out of curiosity, didn't you have a cell phone number of anyone in the groupe so you could call and ask where in hell they were?
Sounds like you had fun anyway.
What was the temp up in the mountains you speak of ???

[kawgirl]

I had about a 140 mile ride today. A little nip in the air but not bad with all my gear on. Glad you had a good ride cactusjack.

[djh]

Cactus Jack, I know that area well. I used to be out of The Tucson area. Great ride. I went out with a buddy yesterday We rode rode along Highway 49 in California just at or a little below the snow line. It was a bit windy and cool but a great ride anyway. DJ

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by Top Cat (TC)

Damn, I can't wait till I can get the bikes out :(
Glad you had a good ride CJ. Just out of curiosity, didn't you have a cell phone number of anyone in the groupe so you could call and ask where in hell they were?
Sounds like you had fun anyway.
What was the temp up in the mountains you speak of ???

Haha, I did think of that, but I didn't have a cell phone # for them. I talked to them later and found out they left early because they didn't think anybody else was going to show up. They didn't know I was coming. It's my fault.

Sorry, I don't know what the temp was up in the mountains. I don't have a thermometer, and these are small towns with no time/temp signs. I'd guess low-mid 30's, + a 15-20 MPH wind.

I know it's not cold by Minnesota or North Dakota standards.

[Top Cat]

Mid 30's, geez, I would call that cold on a motorcycle. I rode my bike back from the painters in 40ish weather and it was no fun at all.

Hey kawgirl, good to see you posting, don't see much of you anymore, busy with new job?

[dandolfn]

I was wearing 2 shirts (1 long-sleeved), a leather jacket and thick leather chaps, my 3/4 Nolan helmet and heavy cold-weather gloves, but was still really cold.

I try not to ride if it's much below 70.

:-)

Yesterday, it was in the upper 80s. Shorts and t-shirt weather.

Living in Florida is a good thing!

[Cajunrider]

We had a rainy weekend but I was working anyway. I'll try to get some riding in this week while I'm off Tuesday - Thursday. CJ, riding in the 30's is painful, especially for a Louisiana boy. Anything below 45 on the bike is cold for me. I can't wait to ride somewhere else besides down here. I have to travel 100 miles to get to some hills.